And fay lewis



(No Model.)

0. S. YOUNG-& F. LEWIS. GOVER FOR TOBACCO PAILS.

No. 437,321. Patented Sept 30, 1890.

27 a a m 111s NORRIS versus ob, mom-mam, Msnmcrou, o. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES S. YOUNG, OF MONROE, WISCONSIN, AND FAY.

- ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

LEWIS, or

COVER FOR TOBACCO-PAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,321, dated-September 30, 1890.

Application filed October 1'7 1889. Serial No. 327,354- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES S. YOUNG, of Monroe, in the county of Green, State of WVisconsin, and FAY LEWIS, of Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of 11li nois, both citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Covers for Tobacco-Pails; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

Our invention relates to a cover for tobaccopails; andthe objects of the invention are, first, to provide a cover with means for diffusing moisture-within the pail to prevent the tobacco therein from becoming dry, which moistening contrivance is readily accessible without removing the cover from the pail, in order that it may be readily saturated with water; second, to provide a cover which is not liable to shrink or warp, and which is simple, cheap, and durable, and, third, to provide an improved fastening appliance for securely holding the cover on the pail, said fastening being easily operated and is adapted to forcibly bite or bind against the pail without tearing or lacerating the interior surface thereof.

With these ends in view and such others as pertain to our invention we provide a cover which is made or composed of two pieces of wood, which are united laterally together with the grain of one piece of wood crossing the grain of the other piece or running at right angles thereto, whereby warpage or shrinkage of the cover is avoided. The two pieces of wood that comprise the cover are preferably glued together, and at its circumference or periphery the cover is formed with an annular horizontal ledge or flange, which projects beyond the vertical face of the cover, so that it is adapted to rest on the upper edge of the pail while the depending portion of the cover fits within the mouth of the pail when the cover is applied to the same. In its center the cover is provided with an opening to permit ready access to the pail without removing the cover, and this central openingis adapted to be closed by a lid, which is preferably hinged to the outside of the cover for convenience in lifting the same. To the under side of this hinged lid is fixed or secured -a receptacle for the absorbent of the moistening device, which receptacle consists of an annular rim of. suitable width, and preferably of sheet metal, that is unitedto the lid, and

a reticulated screen secured to the lower edge sorbent can be saturated without removing the cover from the pail, and when the lid is closed the water is free to evaporate and dif-.

fuse itself through the tobacco in the pail, and

thus keep the same moist, which is highly desirable. The lid lies fiat upon and close to the outer upper faceof the cover, and the receptacle of the moisten-ing contrivance is of age or transportation without liability of injury or damage to the covers. V

The device for fastening our cover in place on the pail consists of a lever having an annular head, which is eccentrically pivoted to the cover on the lower side. thereof near the periphery of the same, and a toothed binding ring or annulus fitted loosely and concentrically around the head of the lever and confined in place by the lever. By making the ring or annulus separate from the lever and fitting the same loosely around the head thereof the toothed ring is prevented from rotating or turning on its axis with the lever after said ring or annulus comes in contact with the inner face of the pail, and while the lever is being forced around or turned on its fulcrum to cause the biting surfaces of the ring or annulus to take firmly against the pail.

We are aware that heretofore a oamlever having a serrated head integral with the same has been employed to lock covers of pails and other vessels, 850., securely in place; but these serrated surfaces being rigid with the lever partake of the turning movement thereof after said surfaces come in contact with the box, 860., and thus lacerate and tear the surface against which they bind, which is very objectionable. With our improved fastener, in which the binding-surface is made sepa rate from the actuating-lever, so as to be forced home by the lever without partaking of its rotary movement after said bindingsurface comesin contact with the pail, we are enabled to avoid lacerating or tearing the inner surface of the pail, and at the same time produce a fastener which is thoroughly efficient andreliable in service.

To enable others to more readily tinderstand our invention, we will now proceed to a detailed description thereof in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which-'- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through our improved cover applied to a pail, a por: tion only of which is shown. Fig. 2 is an inverted bottom plan view of the cover removed from the pail. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the fastening appliance, showing the binding ring or annulus in section and the lever in side elevation. Fig 4 is a plan view of the lever, and Fig. 5 is a similar view of the bindin g ring or annulus of the fastening appliance.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, 1 designates a cover for tobacco-pails constructed in accordance with our invention, and 2 a pail, only a portion of which is shown in Fig. 1, in order to illustratethe application of the cover to the pail, it being understood that no novelty is claimed herein on the pail, which may be of anykind known to the trade.

The cover is made of two pieces or disks of wood 3 4, which are united laterally together, preferably by gluing the same, and the grain of the piece 3 crosses or runs at right angles to the grain of the piece 4, thus forming a laminate cover, which will not shrink or warpv under the moisture to which it is subjected. The cover is provided at its edge or periphery with a. horizontal ledge or flange 5, which projects beyondthe vertical face 6 of the cover, and when the cover is applied to the pail, as indicated in Fig. 1, the depending portion or lower side of the cover fits within the mouth of the pail, with the vertical face 6 thereof bearing against the inner face of the pail, while the horizontal flange or ledge 5 rests on the upper edge of the pail, whereby a tight joint between the pail and cover is provided, which obviates the evaporation of the tobacco in the pail or the escape of the moisturesupplied to the tobacco by an improved moist en'ing appliance hereinafter specifically described.

In the center of the cover we form an opening 10, which provides for the ready and easy access to the contents of the pail, and as this opening is small in size compared to the area of the top of the pail which is inclosed by the cover, the tobacco in the pail is. prevented from drying to any material degree, even when this opening, is exposed byeleva-ting the lid 11, which closes the opening. This lid lies flat upon and close to the outer face of the cover, and at one edge it is hinged to the cover, preferably by means of staples 12,which are driven into the cover and fit over a rod or wire 13, that is secured to the lid by bending or flanging one edge thereof over the wire. We do not, however, confine ourselves to the particu lar means described for hinging the lid to the cover.

To enable the lid to be readily lifted by hand, we have formed a recess or depression 14. in the cover, over which laps one edge of the lid, as seen in Fig. 1, whereby the fingers can be readily placed beneath the edge of the lid to lift the latter. a

On the lower face of the swinginglid we have provided a moistening appliance 15, which fits, when the lid is closed, in the central opening of the cover, and lies flush with the lower face of the same, or substantially so, as indicated in Fig. 1. The moistening appliance consists of a depending rim 16, a reticulated screen 17, and an absorbent filling 19,

placed between the screen and lid and within the depending rim, said absorbent filling being preferably of mineral wool, although suitable substances can be used in lieu thereof. The depending rim'is secured in any suitable manner to the swinging lid, and at its lower edge it is flanged, as at 20, to which flange is secured the screen. WVhen the lid is opened, the screen of the moistening device is exposed to view, and the moistening device arranged at one side of the central opening in the cover, so that the absorbent filling can be saturated by merely pouring water through the screen and without liability of the water flowing upon the tobacco in the pail. The lid is closed by merely folding or turning it over, and. the moistening device thereby housed or inclosed within the cover. The water in the absorbent filling can readily evaporate and escape through the screen of the receptacle into the pail and diffuse itself through the tobacco therein to keep the same moist and wholesome, which is highly desired, especially by retail dealers in fine-cut tobacco.

25 designates the fastening appliance, two,

three, or more of which are provided, as may be deemed necessary, said fastening-devices being arranged at suitable intervals on the lower face of the cover, preferably at equidistant points, as shown in Fig. 2. Each fastener consists of a lever 26 and a binding ring V or annulus 27, which are made or cast in separate pieces and so connected together that the binding-ring or annulus does not partake of the turning movement of the lever after said binding-ring impinges against the pail, and while the lever is being forcibly turned to press the binding-ring against the pail, whereby the device is adapted to serve efficiently without lacerating or tearing the inner face of the pail, although the spurs or barbs which are preferably formed on the binding-ring for the purpose of greater security may puncture or indent the pail. The lever is arranged in a horizontal position, and at one end it is enlarged, as shown at 28, the enlarged end or head being provided on one face or side thereof with a circular boss 29, which is of less diameter than the head,which provides an annular flange, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, which flange is arranged to overlap or impinge against one face of the clampingring, and thus' hold the ring on the circular boss between said flange and the face of the cover to which the fastening is applied, and this circular boss fits snugly into the annulus or ring 27, so that the boss of the lever and ring are concentric and adapted to move laterally and axially together so long as the ring does not come in contact with the inner face of the pail. The lever is pivoted eccentrically to the cover by means of a screw or fulcrum 30, which passes through the enlarged head and circular boss thereof at one side of the center of said parts, and the ring or annulus is arranged between the cover and the overhanging flange on the enlarged head of the lever, so that the binding-ringis confined in place by the lever which actuates it.

To enable the binding-ring to hold with greater certainty and precision, it is provided on its periphery with spurs or barbs 31; but these spurs may be omitted or the ring provided with a corrugated or roughened surface without departing from the scope of my invention. 4

Before placing the cover on the pail the levers are adjusted to retract the bindingrings within the edge of the lower face of the cover, after which the cover is fitted'on the pail with its horizontal ledge 5 on the upper edge of the pail. The swinging lid is now thrown back and the hand passed through the opening 10 to grasp and operate the levers, one aft-er the other, after which the lid is closed. By simply turning each lever toward the pail a portion of the clamping-ring connected to said lever is projected beyond the edge of the cover and against the inner face of the.

pail, and when the binding-ring takes against the pail it ceases to turn axially with the circular boss of the lever, although the latter is turned until the bindingring is forcibly pressed against the inner face of the pail. The cover is thus securely and firmly clamped to the pail to secure a tight joint, and thereby prevent evaporation, and the cover can be quickly and easily applied to or removed from the pail.

We attach importance to the cover having a central opening and the hinged lid, and to the moisture diffusing appliance carried by the lid, whereby we are enabled to provide for the ready access to the contents of the pail without exposing a large surface of the tobacco to the air while the opening 10 is uncovered, and to readily saturate the moisture diffusing device when the lid is thrown back and without removing the cover from the pail.

We also attach importance to the flat lid, which lies close to the cover, and to the moist ure-diffusing device which is arranged within the central opening of the cover, flush with the lower face of said cover, or substantially so, as we are thus enabled to compactly arrange the covers for storage or transportation without liability of injury tothe same.

We would have it understood that we do not restrict ourselves to the exact details of construction and form and proportion of parts herein shown and described as an embodiment of our invention, as weare aware'that I changes can be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of our invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1.' A cover for tobacco-pails, provided with j a central opening and with appliances for securely fastening the same on a pail or vessel,

a swinging fiat lid arranged exteriorly on the cover and hinged thereto to swing outwardly from the cover when it is lifted and adapted to close the opening in said cover when folded thereon, and a moisture-diffusion receptacle fixed directly to the lower side or face of the hinged lid, within the plane of the edges thereof, and adapted to fit in the central opening of the cover when said lid is closed over said opening, whereby the moisture-diffusion receptacle is withdrawn from the cover when the lid is lifted to expose the opening therein and ready access is permitted to the vessel without removing the cover from said vessel, as and for the purpose described.

2. A cover for tobacco-pails, provided with a central opening, a swinging lid arranged exteriorly of the cover and hinged thereto to swing outwardly from the cover when it is lifted and adapted to close the opening in said cover when folded on the same, and a vertical depending rim secured directly to the lower face of the hinged lid, within the plane of the edges thereof, and having a flat screen secured to the lower edge of the same, and an absorbent filling between the screen and the lid for the purpose described, substantially as than the thickness of the cover, and the lower part of the receptacle terminating flush with the lower face of the cover, whereby said receptacle is arranged wholly within the central opening in the cover to be protected thereby,

and the covers can be stacked one upon the other, as herein set forth.

4. In a cover for tobacco-pails, a fastener consisting of a lever having a circular boss, a binding-ring fitted loosely around the boss, and an attaching-pivot which passes eccen trically through the lever and the boss thereof, whereby the bindingring partakes of the movement of the lever and the fastener is applied to a cover by a single pivot, as and for the purpose described.

5. In a cover for tobacco-pails, a fastener consisting of a lever having an integral circular boss and a laterally extending annular flange, a concentric binding-ring fitted loosely around said circular boss and confined within the annular flange onthe lever, and an attach I 5 

